The Patriots
by Phoenix Ray
Summary: Set in Tobias Umbra's fiction. A young cheetah girl is adopted by the Phoenix family and soon becomes entangled with the heroes of the Lylat Wars. Soon, she will fight her own war in the shadows for the freedom of Zoness. Done with permission.


**Well it's been awhile. To tell the truth, I hated the way my earlier attempts as Starfox fiction went. Sorry to all those who reviewed and really like Destructions End and its sequel. I would repost it, but has deleted it from my upload manager because of my extended absence.**

**Sucks.**

**But anyrate, now that life has gotten a little better for me and my depression isn't so bad; I'm making my little comeback. Im more than a little excited to bring my Starfox character's to an interpretation of Lylat that is so well done as Tobias Umbra's. Seriously, go read War Stories right now. Ive never seen an in-depth exploration into Lylat that more fleshed out than his.**

**This story arc will take place throughout TU's fiction, concluding shortly after A Cold Night in Hell.**

**But enough small talk, here's chapter one.**

**Enjoy.**

**Xxxxxxx**

The Corneria City orphanage known as _Lyla's Haven_ is renowned for being perhaps the best place on Corneria for the estranged child to find comfort and security. Run by the Church of Lylat, it is the stepping stone for many children to find a permanent home and family. So long as you behaved yourself.

Alice Matai was not a cheetah who behaved herself, even if she was rarely the instigator in her troubles. Fighting was not particularly common at _Lyla's Haven_, but it did seem to follow her around a bit. This was mostly due to her sticking up for her embattled friends, who where often antisocial and honestly strange. That wasn't to say she wasn't a bit strange herself, the very method that she had arrived at the orphanage was a bit out of the ordinary. Though she was only Matai on paper, Alice still carried her family name with a sense of accomplishment, even if that same family cast her aside at the first opportunity. They didn't need her; they had their legacy in Alice's older brother, Jace. The thought of them, those merciless, cold bastards, made her blood boil in times like these, when she had nothing but what the church gave her. But still, for all their cruelty, her name still meant something.

Alice snorted to herself at the thought. The skinny cheetah sat alone on her bunk as the rest of the kids scurried about trying to make themselves presentable. Today was a special day. Word had gotten out that to the orphanage that Icharos Phoenix was looking to adopt a child from the Corneria City orphanage, for some reason or another that was not clear. Not that Alice cared. She sighed as she lifted her body off the bunk and onto the cold floor. Moving quickly, she brushed past the busy people around her to get to the public restrooms that all the kids shared. She opened the door with a creak and stood in front of a mirror to try and get her look together. Because of her genes, Alice easily stood out from the rest of the children. Alice was a product of genetic engineering, her body and mind tailor-made for excellence. Though apparently that excellence wasn't good enough for her father, nor could it match her brother Jace.

It was ironic; Alice's father had used his own genes to improve his children and repair their birth defects, a mark of pure arrogance in Alice's mind. Alice had taken the recessive genes of her father and Jace the dominant. In a way, getting rid of Alice was like getting rid of the weaker parts of himself for Alice's father. Alice's face was free of blemishes, her fur always healthy and clean and her spots flawless. Her body was lithe and sleek, the typical body of a cheetah, born for speed. Her arms and legs contained a hidden strength that made her stronger than she appeared and her vision was above average. These things were not the reason why she was cast out. Jace was. Indeed, he was the brother she could never live up to. In terms of stature and abilities they were similar, but everything Alice could do, Jace could do better, which was extraordinary in itself, and that had been true from a very young age. But what really infuriated Alice was how long it took them to make up their minds, why not send her to Corneria as an infant? Why let her become deluded with the foolish idea that they loved her?

It was something that bothered her and instilled a hidden anger in her that was always present, even if not always obvious. She still remembered the day she had been taken away.

_Alice had been sitting with her brother Jace on the side of the pool that occupied the gated backyard of the Matai family estate. The seven year old ate a frozen tropical berry treat as she and her brother kicked their feet against the lukewarm water. Jace, a few years older, had one arm around his little sister as they laughed about some silly joke they had seen on a children's show. It had been a normal day in her childhood, nothing strange or out of the ordinary had occurred and there was no reason to expect anything otherwise.  
_

_Then their father, David, exited the house from a backdoor and quickly moved in their direction. His face and body were scarred and hard, the body of a person who had seen many fights, and he wore a black suit that seemed to radiate control and power. Without a word he reached down and grabbed his younger daughters hand and led her away from the pool._

"_Daddy?" Alice said with curiosity as she continued to eat her tropical flavored treat. "Where are we going?"_

_David didn't answer, only looking back at his eldest son. "Go inside and talk to your mother. I won't be gone long."_

"_Can I come too dad?" Jace said hopefully._

"No, now g_o inside." David said with an unusual firmness. He seemed upset and hoarse, as if he had been in an intense argument. Jace's ears flattened as he mumbled something under his breath and did as he was told, moving inside where it was no doubt cooler anyway._

"_Daddy?" Alice asked again._

_David looked down and smiled. "Were going on a trip, just me and you."_

"_Where are we going? Why can't Jace come?"_

"_Your mother needs him for the day, and besides, we haven't really had the chance to have a little alone time have we? This will be a fun trip, just me and you." David had not often smiled at his daughter before so it came as a pleasant surprise to Alice, though he appeared to want to say more. There was something in David's face, an uncertainty that made Alice nervous._

"_But where are we going?" Alice asked again._

"_A place where you belong."_

_Alice said no more as she tried to understand her father's words. It was something that confused her for quite some time, even as she sat alone in her fathers skycar . But she was distracted by her father handing her a sweet malt drink, something that was normally not allowed in the car. Alice happily drank the pleasant surprise, and then began to feel very, very tired. And so she let her head fall to the side and took what she thought would be a pleasant nap. That was the last time she had seen his father. When she awoke, she was a on a public transport on its way to Corneria, a ticket in her lap and instructions written in her father's handwriting telling her to find her way to the Corneria City orphanage, Lyla's Haven. Also included was an explanation, a cold list of facts of how Jace was superior, of how he was the family legacy and Alice was not. Her young mind didn't understand, and she even wrote it off for a time. She still had hope then, maybe it was a surprise or maybe even a game and Jace and the rest of his family was waiting for her there so they could go on vacation like they did only a couple months back._

_She still believed and believed for quite some time, even when she arrived at the orphanage. She waited and waited…and then it hit her. They weren't coming for her. _

_Ever._

_She was alone._

Alice shook the thought from her mind as she cleaned her face and combed her brunette hair into her typical style, long and straight. She had bigger things to worry about and old wounds weren't one of them. Leon was her problem right now. The chameleon was having serious problems with being picked on the by the other kids and the anti-social Leon was offering no defense, which was typical. Self respect had always come hard for him. Alice was one of the few kids to offer any friendship to Leon and wasn't about to let him be a punching bag for a couple of assholes frustrated with their take on life. Alice exited the restroom with a sigh and headed for the main rest area where Leon tended to stay. As she rounded the corner, her path was interrupted by a hurrying female. Alice, being distracted with thoughts on how to look out for Leon without resorting to blows, was completely oblivious to this until she bumped straight into her. The female took the worst of it and collided head to head with Alice before falling backwards. Alice, who had taken quite a few blows to the head in her time in the orphanage, recovered quickly. Quick enough to catch the female before she fell backwards into a puddle of water behind her.

"_Let it never be said that I'm not a nice girl." _Alice thought with an inward, pained smile.

"Shit!" The female, who could now be seen as a Fennec, said with a pained voice as she recovered on the cold floor.

"Watch where the hell you're going!" She snapped.

"Yeah, you're welcome for saving those expensive clothes of yours from a puddle of Lyla-knows-what." Alice growled.

The Fennec looked back at the puddle for a moment before sighing and rubbing her head. "I guess you're right…I do like this coat."

Alice rolled her eyes and helped her up, getting a good look at the young girl as she did so. The young fennec was attired in the most expensive and extravagant looking clothes Alice had ever seen, not even with her old family on Zoness. She offered her paw as a peace offering.

"My names Alice."

"Fara Phoenix. You know who I am." She said with a pompous tone as she briefly took her paw, carefully wiping it on a napkin afterward. Alice raised her eyebrows in surprise while she groaned on the inside. Just the kind of person she needed to avoid right now.

"Look, sorry for bumping into you and it's nice to meet you and all but I really need to get going…."

"Really? So soon?" Fara said with a smile and placed her paws on her hips, eyebrows raised. Alice, with few boys and girls interested in romance at the orphanage, was taken by surprise with her reaction. She quickly blushed and rubbed her head in hesitation while mumbling something unintelligible. Fara laughed and grabbed her paw in a vice grip and lead her back from where she came.

"Come on, at least you're not hideous and I doubt Im going to get much better selection. Besides, the sooner I leave this place the better."

"What are you talking about?" Alice spoke with growing dread, unable to comprehend her meaning. Fara turned back with a questioning gaze.

"Do you want to stay in this hole?"

"Hell no."

"Then come on. My father will want to speak with you first."

It finally hit Alice what she meant, though it honestly made her feel a little dubious due to the looks that Fara had been giving her not 2 seconds before. Could she really determine what sibling she wanted based solely on attractiveness?

Fara lead Alice back to the main living area past many of where the other children were present trying to look like good kids worthy of adoption by the Phoenix family. Many of them gave evil looks Alice's direction, which all the cheetah could do was sheepishly grin back. They rounded the corner and into the main office area in front of the orphanage proper where an elderly looking fennec stood alone with a few suited people around him, speaking in hushed tones. The elder fennec looked annoyed just to be there.

"Daddy, I found someone I want." Fara said as she led Alice in front of her father.

Icahros Phoenix glared down at the cheetah and rolled his eyes. "Fine, she looks better than most in this…_place_."

Alice was amazed at how little he seemed to care that his daughter was literally telling him to adopt a young female based on the fact that his daughter thought she was attractive. At the same time, she could not believe her luck, and then it hit her that she had forgotten about Leon. But she dare not speak up about it; she didn't want to wear out her luck just yet. But then, maybe she had an excuse.

"Uhh, do I need to go back and get my things?"

Icharos waved his paw as if it carried weight. "Fine, fine. Just don't take long."

Alice relished her opportunity and rushed back towards her bunk in the main living area, trying hard to avoid bumping into several kids who gave her more angry looks. She ran past these people and rounded the corner...just in time to see Leon catch a punch on the jaw.

"You stupid bitch!" A male red collie with an ugly scar across his face yelled at the chameleon. "Your whore friend pulled some kind of deal, and I know you had something to do with it!"

The collie pulled back his fist once more to land another blow but got no further as Alice slid behind him and kicked out his knee-caps. The collie yelped in distress as Alice stood up and helped Leon to his feet. Leon barely acknowledged her, only continuing to stare down at the floor, tears coming down his eyes. The red collie stood to his feet with a growl and glared at Alice. Alice recognized him now, he was a nasty young canine named Kiel who's father was a convicted murderer. Alice would have felt sorry for him if he wasn't so busy being a notorious asshole.

"Stay out of this Kiel, he had nothing to do with me!"

"Shut up whore."

Kiel rushed forward to land another blow to her but never got that far as Alice threw herself into his crotch, punching with her fist into his tender area. Kiel yelped once more before falling to the ground with a final moan. It was a pathetic sight, in less than 30 seconds his entire reputation had been completely destroyed. Alice picked herself up just in time to see one of the nuns enter the room. The nun, a kind old cat named Aerie, held a hand over her face to stifle a cry.

"Alice! Are you insane?"

She rushed forward to pick up the wounded Kiel and pointed back towards the entry area. "Just go before you blow you're only chance to get out of here..."

Alice looked down at her chameleon friend with a concerned look. Leon looked up and did something he had not done in some time. He smiled.

"Go. Ill be fine. I promise."

"Im sorry." Alice said with a choking sob, clearly not convinced in his ability to defend himself.

However, she was out of time and she knew it. She ran back towards where Fara and her father was waiting for her, pushing past the crowd to do so. She rounded back around the corner empty handed.

Fara's father Icharos looked down suspiciously. "I though you were going for your things? Or are you that incompetent?"

"Umm...well, I thought it prudent not to sully your estate with my old, stupid things. Or would you prefer I take them into your expensive skycar?"

Icharos huffed at her remarks. "Hmm, you have a point. Perhaps you're not so unintelligent after all, and maybe my daughter does have a good eye." He looked down at his daughter with a smile. Fara only smirked and twirled her coattails triumphantly. Alice, on the other hand, breathed an inward sigh of relief, happy that they didn't notice the events of the living area. So the trio exited the orphanage after the last bit of information had been given and the paperwork field away. As they left, Alice looked back at her home for the last few years and prayed a silent prayer for her chameleon companion, hoping desperately he wouldn't be torn ton pieces in her absence. But now she had a new life to live, and some immediate concerns of her own, most of all was her new sister, Fara.

**Xxxxxxx**

Alice sat with Fara in the backseat of one the luxury skycars the Phoenix family owned, a _Brosnan XL Crowne_, something that not even her father used to own. The upper levels of Corneria City flew by with a speed that she hadn't seen in some time. She hadn't been in a skycar since she had been with her father and a lot of old memories flooded back to her. But also, a sense of excitement was present that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She was finally free, free to live her life the way she wanted to as long as her new family approved. But something bugged her about all that had just happened to her. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful; it was just that it didn't make sense.

"Fara…" Alice said softly.

Fara looked up from where she had been admiring her claws. "Hmm?"

"Why do this?" Alice looked over at her new sister. "See if you can fill in the blanks for me. A filthy rich family suddenly looks to adopt despite having no real reason to and you pick me of all people. Why?"

Fara laughed. "You don't know much about daddy do you?"

"That would be a no."

Fara snorted with annoyance. "Typical. Look, daddy has been under a lot of _public criticism_ lately." She said with air quotes. "Mother has been institutionalized and workers are on strike. He needs to improve his reputation and ive been bored. So I told daddy to get me a playmate."

She looked over and poked her in the arm. "That's you."

"Yeah, I can figure the rest out myself." Alice spoke with a sarcastic tone. She leaned back in her seat and sighed. In one paw, she was out of the orphanage and she finally could get on with her life. On the other, she wasn't really wanted and was at the mercy of a spoiled brat for a sister. But still, it could be worse, she just needed to tread carefully and everything would be fine. As the minutes passed and Fara returned her attention to her looks, Alice allowed her mind to wander back to her old life. Before her time in the orphanage, back when she still thought she was loved. She had hardened herself a bit since then; she even hated her old family for a time. But ironically enough, it was the orphanage itself that had taught her not to. The nuns had installed religion in her the way her father never did, and she had tried to apply the golden rule to her whole life. In some ways more successful than others. She wasn't sure any of it was true, maybe they told her all that to keep the peace amongst a lot of depressed and hurt kids.

But still, she wished to see her old family again someday, if only to get an explanation why she wasn't good enough. That would have to wait however, as they were approaching the estate that would soon be her home. It was a massive, three story building that was more akin to ancient castles than normal homes. In fact, Alice was pretty sure that was exactly what it had been at one point, before technology got a hold of it. Not only was it three stories, it had several extensions to it that included a hanger of sorts for skycars and a tower for stargazing. Add to it the lake in the backyard and the extensive gating to keep unwanted visitors out, and it was quite impressive to the young cheetah.

The skycar they were in flew in low to the top of the hanger extension and landed on the ceiling. Without waiting, Icharos stepped out and as if on cue, the floor beneath them started to descend to the hanger below. Fara and Alice stepped out as well as Icharos took out a modern looking vox from his shirt pocket and spoke into it rather rudely to the person who answered it.

"How dare you make me drive my own car! If you cant find me a new chauffeur, then I will fire your ass too! Now get on it, I expect someone new by tommorrow."

Fara paid no attention to her father, only stepping off the elevator and into their garage with a huff. Icharos quickly followed suit, heading off in a different direction than his daughter, though he looked back at Alice with a stern face.

"Don't even think of touching any of these cars."

With that, he was gone, off to who knows where, still talking away on his vox. Alice had been left to her own devices and she scoffed at her introduction to her new home, clearly a little put off and more than a little agitated. She stood there for a few moments, admiring the massive collection of skycars and skybikes that the Phoenix family owned. Beyond the ultra expensive _Brosnan_ that they had arrived in, there were models and types here that she did not even know existed. One in particular caught her eye, a red skybike with the words _Vektan Champion GT_ on the side. It was sleek and practically radiated power and speed, clearly it caught her eye.

She made a mental note to see what cars they tended to drive the most and prayed that the _Champion_ wasn't among them, though she tried not to get her hopes up. Her thoughts however were interrupted by the appearance of a floating assistant, its metal exterior topped by a series of antennae. It approached her and spoke in a soothing, yet mechanical voice.

_"Welcome new family member! I am servant seven of ten of the Phoenix household, and I in particular am in charge of assisting you in moving in. May I request your name?"_

Alice was a little put off by the floating AI at first, not having expected such an advanced intelligence in a simple household servant.

"Yes, my name is Alice."

_"Alice Phoenix." _The assistant corrected.

"Of course. Sorry, Im still getting used to it myself."

_"Very well, if you would accompany me to your new section of the estate, that would be most acceptable."_

With that the assistant floated off, not bothering to wait for a response form the cheetah girl. Alice caught herself standing still and quickly followed behind the AI as fast as she could. They exited the garage and entered the main hall of the estate, it was massive with high glass ceilings and marble walls and staircases that ascended to the second and third floors. Alice started to move towards the stairs but the assistant seven moved past them and into the elevator beside the stairs, Alice quickly corrected her course and followed. After a quick ride in the elevator towards the third floor, they arrived at the top and seven, as Alice had decided to call it, moved promptly to a large double set of doors at the end of the hall.

_"This is your living area. Your bedroom is in the door at the end on the left and a bathroom at the end on the right."_

Seven turned back to its new master once she had entered the room. _"Is there anything I can assist you with?"_

Alice didnt answer at first, completely in awe of the massive living room that now belonged to her. Clearly it had been used as a guest room before as it was in pristine condition and was fully stocked with firewood for the fireplace and the couches and chairs were spotless. The floors were a luxurious white carpet and the ceilings were the same glass that brought plenty of light into the room.

Alice suddenly remembered her metal companion. "No, I-I think ill be alright."

With that, seven exited back out the open door and left her on her own again. Alice walked over the fireplace, rubbing her hands over the magnificent marble and marveling at the luxury of the archaic method of staying warm, clearly it was simply there for show, despite the fact that it was stocked with wood. Alice sat down on one of the splendid black leather couches and ran her hands over the surface. After a moment, she placed her hands on her face and felt like she might weep. She had languished so long in that orphanage, without a family and without a home. Now at least, she had a home, though she wasn't sure if she had a family to accompany it. Icharos and Fara clearly had no interest in her, and remembering Fara's words in the skycar, it was also clear that Alice was a means to an end.

She removed her hands from her face and let her tears run openly down her face. She was still not loved, she still was ultimately alone. All the sufferings of the past came bubbling up to her again as she sat there weeping at her strange case of misfortune. But after a few more moments, she steeled herself. Why? Why should she be down on herself just because others don't see her value? In fact, she would show them how valuable she could be. She was only 16, but was hardened beyond her years by her life experiences and hardships. And now it was time to bring the old Alice back. The Alice that would not take no for an answer and would do anything to make her life better. Now it was that time again.

Alice stood up from the couch and wiped the tears from her face, moving to a nearby window to look out over her new home. This was her new world now, and she was determined to make the best of it.

**Xxxxxxx**

**That's all for now folks, ill update soon. Sorry for the shortness, i just wanted to get this out there. C ya!**


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